Gosh, are you guys in for a treat today. Connie Chapman is one of the women I most admire in the personal growth and coaching field. Having had a session with her myself I can tell you first hand that Connie goes deep, has an uncannily spot-on intuition (there's no hiding!) and she is there to support her clients the whole way as they inhabit the changes they crave. Her vulnerability is pretty darn inspiring and her writing is truly stirring. And let's not forget her brilliant podcast, Awaken Radio, which is a must-hear. She's filling in the blanks for us today.

// The Big and Bountiful //

1. Share with us a short story of personal triumph (big or small) and what limiting beliefs you had to dismantle along the way.

My biggest personal triumph - and the one that has required me to overcome the most of my fear and limiting beliefs – was completing (or shall I say beginning) my life coach training.

I first had the desire to be a life coach when I was 20 years old, but I was young, scared and filled with self-doubt. So I pushed my dream to the side and went on to pursue the career that was expected of me.

I had to work through everything from fearing others judgment, my own perfectionist patterns and believing I had to be some glowing role model of a perfect life to be a coach.

I was scared of both failure and success, and I felt so vulnerable sharing my deepest passions and ideas with the world.

I had to overcome my self-doubt, believing I didn’t have what it took, that I wasn’t confident enough, that I didn’t know enough or know how to run a business.

I continuously questioned myself and I needed so much external validation, so I really had to let that go and learn how to listen to and trust myself.

As you can see there was a lot of blocks to overcome!

Eventually after 9 years (and through attending countless seminars, reading every book I could find, and receiving coaching myself) I was finally able to follow my heart and make my dream a reality.

I have been running my own business for 3 years now and I absolutely love what I do.

2. What does it mean for you to live boldly from a place of love?

Sometimes choosing to love, support and believe in yourself is the hardest choice. It is challenging and requires you to dig deep.

So I see it as a commitment to that practise. To be committed to love and to wherever it wants to take you.

Living from a place of love means moving forward towards what you love, fuelled by that powerful pull of your heart, despite the fear, doubt and limitations that your mind throws at you.

3. What makes your heart sing and lights you up?

Nature, yoga, book stores, beach runs at sunrise, ocean swims, deep conversations with like-minded people, watching transformations unfold within my clients, and probably my favourite is deep meditation sessions where I drop into that space within that is full of love and peace.

4. What grinds your gears or ruffles your feathers? (We're all human)

I am really hyper-sensitive when it comes to noise, and certain noises, or too much noise drives me crazy.

5. What identities have you shed recently?

For the past year I have been really shedding my ‘strong, independent woman’ identity who is incredibly self-sufficient and doesn’t ask for help or support. She is a woman who is incredibly driven but who often works too hard, strives for future destinations and doesn’t stop to listen to her body or meet her needs.

I have done a lot of work on this and have found myself dropping into a much softer space where I have a beautiful connection with my body, where I learn how to ask for help, let people support me, collaborate, connect and slow down.

I am really allowing my feminine to step in and guide me to more play, self-care and creativity. She is a woman who loves to just be and doesn’t measure her worth based on what she achieves.

6. Your coaching style is incredibly intuitive. What tools and techniques have you used to hone your intuition and devote to following the feeling?

I wouldn’t say there are any specific tools and techniques, other than just practising following my intuition and seeing where it takes me. Rather than making decisions based on logic or what my circumstances are telling me, I tune into how I feel and what I sense about a situation. I have found that my intuition simply strengthens through practise.

I find journaling has helped me too. I will practise a meditation and then begin writing and I just allow the words to flow through me for pages and pages without stopping or re-reading and I often find when I read it back I can’t even remember writing the words, but they are filled with incredible guidance!

Your relationship with your intuition is like any relationship – it takes time, patience, love and care. And if you do this, over time it strengthens and becomes a rock-solid presence you can always rely on.

7. When you are being called to expand where do you seek inspiration and support?

I am lucky enough to be surrounded by an incredible group of friends who are life coaches, yoga teachers, healers and wellness practitioners. These are the people I can talk to, share my thoughts with and receive support. I also have my own team of mentors who I go to for guidance or to help re-balance my energy when I feel out of whack.

// & Other Pieces of the Puzzle //

1. Favourite quote:

"Let yourself be silently drawn by the strange pull of what you really love. It will not lead you astray." - Rumi

2. Current fascination: Tarot. I really want to learn how to read and interpret the cards.